The Daily Beast
CNN report on Friday night, citing undisclosed sources, that the intelligence community in the United States issued at least two assessments in which the administration of US President Joe Biden warned of an increasing danger in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The network said that the two assessments, which were based in part on intelligence information provided by Israel , were submitted to the Biden administration weeks before the sudden and unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on October 7, according to what the network said were sources familiar with this information.
One of the two assessments, dated September 28 and based on multiple intelligence sources, warned that Hamas intends to escalate by launching missiles at Israel.
On October 5, a CIA cable generally warned of the increasing potential for violence by Hamas.
But neither American assessment presented any tactical details or indications of a massive and widespread attack, as occurred on the morning of October 7.
It is also not clear whether details of these two assessments were sent to Israel, which typically provides much of the intelligence on which the United States relies.
On October 6, American officials circulated Israeli reports about what they said was an unusual movement on the part of Hamas, which controls Gaza.
Gaza , Israel and the West Bank are included in what is known as the “hotspots” list, which includes intelligence briefings by senior American officials on an almost daily basis, according to what a source familiar with these briefings said.
Intelligence assessments are written by the intelligence community to inform decision-makers and enable them to make decisions.
“The problem is that there was nothing new in them (the intelligence assessments),” one source said.
The source added: “This is something that has historically been the norm between Israel and Hamas, and I think what happened is that everyone saw these reports, and said yes, of course, but we know what it will look like.”
The American news network says that the assessments were among high-level warnings that reached the Biden administration by US intelligence and its allies in the Middle East during the past year.
The matter raises questions about why Israel and America were in harmony regarding the risks.
